Venous Thromboembolism in the Elderly: Epidemiological Data Overview Based On the 2149-Patients Prospective OPTIMEV Cohort.

Abstract 5063

VTE is a multifactorial disease, but one of the strongest risk factor is age. Despite this high incidence, there is surprisingly little known about VTE in this population. So, based on the large OPTIMEV cohort study on VTE, the aim of this study was to focus on epidemiological information regarding VTE among old population.

OPTIMEV was a multicentre prospective cohort study of patients referred for clinically suspected VTE throughout France. VTE presentations were categorized using objective tests including ultrasonography, lung scan and helical CT scan. Subjects without a confirmed diagnosis of VTE were used as controls.

A total of 8256 patients were included in the OPTIMEV study, among which the aged study population (> 75y) was 2149. The median age of the old group was 81 years (76 - 101 years). Among this cohort, a total of 655 patients (30.5%) were positive cases of VTE, including 203 isolated distal DVT (31%), and 452 (69%) proximal DVT +/- PE. Diagnosis of VTE was ruled out in 1494 patients (69.5%). To identify potential specific risk factors in older patients, we compared VTE positive aged patients to younger. For this purpose, we tested by logistic regression the interaction between age (more or less than 75) and risk factors. Personal or familial history of VTE, travel, cardiac or respiratory insufficiency were not specific of the difference in incidence of VTE in older compared to younger patients. Only male gender (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 – 1.9), bed rest (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1 – 1.9), lower limb immobilization (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.5 – 2.5 and surgery <45d (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.9 – 1.7) were found to be significantly different risk factors for VTE according to age.

Our epidemiological data, based on a large cohort, showed few really specific risk factors in this old population, compared to younger.